150年的时光转瞬而逝，希腊人的另一支马其顿人建立的国家强大起来。公元前334年马其顿君主亚历山大大帝率领大军远征波斯，波斯国王大流士三世（公元前336～前330年在位）亲自率军迎敌，结果遭到惨败，大流士三世逃回波斯本土，其母亲妻儿却做了亚历山大的俘虏。公元前331年，亚历山大向波斯本土发动进攻，波斯军队再次惨败，大流士三世临阵逃跑。亚历山大进入波斯波利斯将之洗劫一空，并为了报复波斯人烧毁雅典神庙之仇，下令烧毁了波斯波利斯，大火烧了几个昼夜，使一座宏伟壮丽的石头城变成一堆残垣断壁。曾经傲视寰宇的柱顶石雕动物们从高高的石柱上跌落下来散落四方，他们似乎无声地诉说着一个文明古国的沧桑。
2. Civilization Marks of architectural art and historical festivals
The Persepolis civilization marks are focused on architectural art and historical festivals. The main buildings include the Gate of All Nations， the Apadana Palace， the Throne Hall， and the Tachare， etc. Nowruz is one of the famous festivals. They can attest the former grandeur of this old city.
建筑艺术和历史节日的文明印记
波斯波利斯的文明印记主要集中在建筑艺术和历史节日。其主要建筑有万国之门、阿帕达纳宫、百柱厅、塔洽拉宫等，著名节日有诺鲁兹节等。它们可以证明这座古城昔日的辉煌。
The Gate of All Nations：The pivoting two-leafed doors
The Gate of all Nations， referring to subjects of the empire， consisted of a grand hall that was a square of approximately 25 metres （82 ft） in length， with four columns and its entrance on the Western Wall. There were two more doors， one to the south which opened to the Apadana yard and the other opened onto a long road to the east. Pivoting devices found on the inner corners of all the doors indicate that they were two-leafed doors， probably made of wood and covered with sheets of ornate metal.
A pair of Lamassus， bulls with the heads of bearded men， stand by the western threshold. Another pair， with wings and a Persian head， stands by the eastern entrance， to reflect the Empire's power.Xerxes's name was written in three languages and carved on the entrances， informing everyone that he ordered it to be built.
万国大门：旋转的双叶门
万国大门指的是帝国的某座建筑群，它包括一个大约25米长的大厅，大厅有四根柱子，入口处在西墙之上；大厅还有两个门，一个在南边，通往阿帕达纳庭院，另一个在东边，通往一条很长的路。所有门的内角里都装有旋转设备，说明这些都是双叶门，它们可能是由木头制成，并被覆盖上华丽的金属制品。
大厅里一对带翼人面神牛连同长着胡子的男人头颅坐落在西方边缘，另一对带翼人面神牛连同翅膀和波斯人头矗立在东边入口处，他们象征着帝国的权力。入口处雕刻着三种语言写成的薛西斯的名字，其用意是告诉大家，这座建筑物是他下令建造的。
Apadana Palace：The place for the King of Kings to hold official audiences
Darius the Great built the greatest palace at Persepolis in the western side. This palace was called the Apadana. The King of Kings used it for official audiences. The work began in 515 BC. His son Xerxes I completed it 30 years later. The palace had a grand hall in the shape of a square， each side 60 m long with seventy-two columns， thirteen of which still stand on the enormous platform. Each column is 19 m high with a square Taurus and plinth. The columns carried the weight of the vast and heavy ceiling. The tops of the columns were made from animal sculptures such as two headed bulls， lions and eagles. The columns were joined to each other with the help of oak and cedar beams， which were brought from Lebanon. The walls were covered with a layer of mud and stucco to a depth of 5 cm， which was used for bonding， and then covered with the greenish stucco which is found throughout the palaces.
At the western， northern and eastern sides of the palace there were three rectangular porticos each of which had twelve columns in two rows of six. At the south of the grand hall a series of rooms were built for storage. Two grand Persepolitan stairways were built， symmetrical to each other and connected to the stone foundations. To protect the roof from erosion， vertical drains were built through the brick walls. In the four corners of Apadana， facing outwards， four towers were built.
The walls were tiled and decorated with pictures of lions， bulls， and flowers. Darius ordered his name and the details of his empire to be written in gold and silver on plates， which were placed in covered stone boxes in the foundations under the Four Corners of the palace. Two Persepolitan style symmetrical stairways were built on the northern and eastern sides of Apadana to compensate for a difference in level. Two other stairways stood in the middle of the building. The external front views of the palace were embossed with carvings of the Immortals， the Kings’elite guards. The northern stairway was completed during Darius’s reign， but the other stairway was completed much later.
阿帕达纳宫：万王之王接见官员的地方
大流士大帝在波斯波利斯西侧建造了最大的皇宫，这座宫殿被称为阿帕达纳宫，万王之王用它来接见官员。这项工程开始于公元前515年。完成于30年后大流士大帝的儿子薛西斯一世统治时期。宫殿中有一个巨大的方形大厅，厅每侧长60米，配有72根柱子，这些柱子每根高19米，配有方形金牛和基座，其中13根柱子竖立在巨大的平台之上。这些柱子承载着庞大而沉重的天花板，柱子的顶部雕刻着动物图案，如双头公牛、狮子和鹰，柱子之间被来自黎巴嫩的橡树和柏树互相链接着。大厅墙壁覆盖了一层5厘米厚的粘接用的泥巴和灰泥，在整个宫殿里都能看见那覆盖其上的浅绿色灰泥。
在宫殿的西侧、北和东侧，有三个长方形门廊，每个门廊有12根柱子，它们排成两排，每排6根。在大厅的南边，建造了一系列存储用的房间。两座互相对称的巨型波斯波利斯楼梯与石基相连，为了保护屋顶免受侵蚀，在砖墙之间建造了垂直排水装置。在阿帕达纳宫的四个角落里，还建造了四座面朝外的塔楼。
宫殿的墙壁都镶上了瓷砖，还装饰上狮子、牛和花的图案。大流士命令将他的名字和帝国故事用金子和银子刻写在板材上，这些板材被放置在宫殿四个角落下方地基的石盒里。阿帕达纳宫的北侧和东侧建有两座波斯波利斯风格的对称楼梯，目的是用来平衡高度上的差距，另外还有两座楼梯矗立在宫殿的中心；宫殿外部的前面，刻有众神仙和国王的精英卫队的浮雕。北边的楼梯是在大流士统治期间完工的，其他的楼梯则在很久以后才竣工。
The Throne Hall：The ImperialArmy’s hall of honor
Next to the Apadana， second largest building of the Terrace and the final edifices， is the Throne Hall or the Imperial Army’s hall of honor （also called the "Hundred-Columns Palace"）. This 70x70 square meter hall was started by Xerxes and completed by his son Artaxerxes I by the end of the fifth century BC. Its eight stone doorways are decorated on the south and north with reliefs of throne scenes and on the east and west with scenes depicting the king in combat with monsters. Two colossal stone bulls flank the northern portico. The head of one of the bulls now resides in the Oriental Institute in Chicago.
In the beginning of Xerxes’s reign， the Throne Hall was used mainly for receptions for military commanders and all honoured guests of the empire. Later the Throne Hall served as an imperial museum.
宝座大厅：帝国军队荣誉展厅
在阿帕达纳宫的旁边，是第二大露台建筑和最后的建筑物，那就是宝座大厅或帝国军队荣誉展厅（也被称为百柱厅）。这座长宽均为70米的大厅在大流士时期开始建造，完成于公元前5世纪他的儿子阿尔塔薛西斯一世时期。百柱厅有8扇石门，南边和北边装饰着宝座场面的浮雕，东边和西边的装饰描绘了国王决战怪兽的场面；两只巨大的石头公牛矗立在北边门廊的两侧，其中一只公牛的头现在陈列在芝加哥的东方学院内。